In November 2011, the University of Queensland announced the establishment of a new centre for research and education focused on coal seam gas. The Centre for Coal Seam Gas (CCSG) aims to be “the pre-eminent global authority on vital issues relating to CSG” (UQ News, November 2011). However, the new ‘Centre for Coal Seam Gas’(CCSG) is partly-funded by Queensland Gas Company, Arrow Energy, Santos and the University of Queensland (UQ News, December 2011). The CSG companies will contribute $15 millon to UQ's $7.5 million. That money buys them influence over the Centre's research agenda. In 2011, the cumulative number of approved Coal Seam Gas (CSG) wells was 1,816. Queensland's CSG wells are projected to reach 40,000 by 2030. While the industry and government take every opportunity to promote the "clean green" credentials of CSG, a comprehensive life cycle assessment of the unconventional, unproven extraction method remains conspicuously absent. Increasingly large numbers of students and staff are demanding that the University disclose whether the CCSG’s research agenda will be independent of the interests of its industry sponsors. The University has so far been dismissive of these concerns. The CCSG raises fundamental questions about UQ’s commitment to scientific research integrity. The University of Queensland has built a reputation as a research leader in renewable energy technologies, and as a recent signatory of the Talloires Declaration, has committed to integrating sustainability into its research, teaching, operations, and outreach activities. The immense public controversy over coal seam gas mining, and the environmental and social issues at stake, means it’s crucial that the CCSG maintains its independence and scientific integrity. Please join us in calling on UQ to KEEP IT CLEAN.
